Gas-producer.



G. J. WEBER. GAS PRODUCER. APPLICATION FILED 001". 16, 1913.

L1Q9,Q58m Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.16,1913.

1,1 29,258, Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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GEORGE (T. WEBER, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ens-raonuona Specification of Letters Patent. PatQntQd Frgb, 23, 1915,,

Application filed October 16, 1913. Serial No. 795,443.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE J. -WEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Producers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gas producers.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved producer by which gas of uni form composition and comparatively free from impurities of all kinds may be economically and readily made from various kinds of fuel.

My improved gas producer is particularly adapted tobe employed in making gas from fuels which contain considerable quantities of volatile substances. My improved process may be efficiently employed in the production of gas from lignite and bituminous coal and from peat, straw, wood and other fuels.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel means by which clinkers formed by combustion may be readily disintegrated and broken up so as not to inter fere materially with the production of the as. 6 A further object of my invention is to provide a gas producer which will produce a gas free from tarry substances, and other impurities which may be employed without further treatment for operating gas engines and for other uses.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have illustrated the preferred form of an appara tus which is adapted to carry my invention into effect.

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of the producer designed to elfect the combustion of the fuel, a portion of the combustion chamber being broken away. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the dotted line ab of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a gas engine with which the producer chamber is connected by suitable conductors. Fig. A is a vertical section of the water sealing mechanism of one of the boilers.

Similar characters of reference denote similar parts.

1 denotes the cylindrical outer vertical casing of the producer, the lower end of the casing resting upon blocks 2 which rest in a basin 3, preferably of concrete and adapt ed to contain Water which submerges the lower end of the casing and forms therewith a water seal. The upper end of the casing 1 is provided with the usual horizon tal head l having a central vertical feed inlet 5 which may be closed in any suitable manner. as by door 6.

Centrally within the producer chamber is a vertical tubular core through which air, steam and water is admitted to the combustion chamber, and around which the fuel is burned. This tubular core comprises preferably the following described parts 7 denotesva vertical iron pipe the lower end of which is coanectedto the upturned inner end of a horizontal conductor 8, the outer end of which is also upturned and which conveys air and steam to the pipe 7. 9 denotes a vertical cylindrical cap, preferably of larger diameter than the pipe 7 and provided on its lower end with vertical curved wings 10 which rest upon the upper end of the pipe 7 spaces 11 being providedbetween the wings 10 through which the air and steam may enter the combustion chamber from the pipe 7. Tue upper end of the cap 9 is preferably provided with a vertical annular flange 12 by which refractory material, such as fire clay, is adapted to be retained for the protection of the cap from heat from above. The cap 9 is also provided with a water space 13 with which connect the inner ends of two horizontal pipes 14:, the outer ends of which extend through the casing 1 and are connected with awater tank 15. Encircling and secured to the pipe 7 adjacent to its upper end is a ring 16 preferably of cast iron and having,

referabl a water s oace 17 which encircles the pipe 7. A right-angled pipe 18 has the upper end of its vertical portion connected with the space 17 the other end of the pipe extending horizontally through the casing 1. A similar pipe 19 is similarly connected with the water space 17. The pipes 18 and 19 serve to carry water to and from the water space 17. Encircling the lower end of the pipe 7 and forming a part of the basin bottom is a conical concrete ring like pedestal 20 which supports a conical sheath of fire clay extending from the pedestal 20 to the cast iron ring 16 and denoted by 21. The pipes 18 and 19 are preferably embedded in the sheath 21 to protect them 1.

from the heat of the combustion chamber. The ring 16 is preferably of tapering form with its outer wall having the same angle of inclination as the outer wall of the sheath 21.

Encircling the fuel chamber and secured to the inner Wall of the casing 1 is a horizontal ring 22 having an annular flange 23 which is secured to the casing 1. Projecting downwardly from the bottom of the ring 22 adjacent. to its inner edge are a plurality of vertical fingers 24 which are spaced at equal distances apart around the ring. The ring is also provided with a plurality of vertical holes 25 disposed intermediate the fingers 24 and the flange 23 and which connect with an annular flue space 26 provided in the lower end of an annular lining of fire clay lgvhigc lri rests upon the ring 22 and is denoted The casing 1 and fire clay lining 27 are provided with a plurality of stoke holes 28, the outer ends of which are normally closed by suitable closures 29 pivoted to ring brackets 30 secured to the outer wall of the casing 1. The stoke holes 28 preferably flare downwardly and laterally.

Through the casing 1 and lining 27 extends horizontally a safety outlet 31 nor mally closed at its outer end by a vertical plate 32 slidably mounted on bolts 33, the inner ends of which are secured to the ring plate 34 secured to the casing 1 and having its opening registering with the hole or out let 31. The outer ends of the bolts 33 are provided with nuts 35. Coil springs encircling the bolts 33 and bearing upon the nuts 35 serve to normally hold the plate 32 in the closed position, and are denoted by 36.

A U -shaped horizontal conductor 37 has its ends connected to the annular flue space 26 at substantially diametrically opposite points. A conductor 38 has one end connected with the conductor 37, the other end being connected with the carbureter 39 of a gas engine 40. A valve 41 is provided in the conductor 38. The two parallel arms of the conductor 37 extend respectively through two horizontal boilers 42, and serve to heat the Water which is held in said boilers. Each boiler 42 is provided on its upper side with Y a water inlet 43. To prevent the boiler filling with water, each boiler is provided with a discharge pipe 44 connected to one side, some distance above the bottom of the boiler and below the top thereof. Each pipe 44 is downwardly turned at its outer end, which end projects into a vessel 45 having an open upper end to permit the water escaping when the vessel is filled. The water in the vessel 45 submerges the outer end of the pipe 44 andzserves as a water seal to prevent steam escaping.

Two conductors 46 are connected respectively at one set of ends with the upper sides of the boilers 42 to carry the steam formed in the boilers to the conductors 8 with which the other set of ends connect. Each conductor 46 is provided with a valve 47 for regulating the amount of steam admitted to the conductor 8.

A water conductor 48 having a valve 49 extends upwardly in the pipe 7 and is provided at its upper end with horizontal discharge portions 50 which extend in diametrically opposite directions through the pipe 7 and ring 16. The conductor 48 serves to convey water or steam slightly above the boiling point, into the combustion chamber for the purpose hereinafter described.

For the purpose of stirring the fuel so as to make it feed evenly and to make the fuel more porous, the following described stirring mechanism is provided :A stirring bar, preferably tubular so as to contain water, and denoted by 51 has a vertical portion the upper end of which is rotatively fitted in a vertical hole provided in a horizontal spider 52 the arms of which are secured to the walls of the inlet 5. The bar 51 is provided with a vertical cylindrical projection 53 which is rotatively mounted in a socket 54 provided in the central part of the upper end of the cap 9. The bar 51 is provided above the stud or projection 53 with a horizontal extension adapted to enter the fuel and stir it when the bar 51 is turned in its bearings. To oscillate the bar 51 to and fro it has secured to it a bevel gear wheel 55 which meshes with a bevel gear wheel 56 se cured at the inner end of a horizontal shaft 57 which extends through the casing 1 and lining 27 and is mounted in bearings 58 and 59 secured respectively to the outer side of the casing 1 and the inner and under side of the head 4.

Rigidly secured to the shaft 57 outside the casing 1 is a pulley wheel 60. Rotatively mounted on the shaft 57 at opposite sides of the pulley wheel (30 are pulley wheels 61 and 62. Two belts 63 and 64 which run in opposite directions are adapted to be shifted laterally by any suitable belt shifting mechanism not shown, so that each belt may alternately engage the center pulley wheel and one of the lateral pulley wheels, thereby effecting, in a well known manner, the rotation of the shaft 57 in opposite directions, and through said shaft and bevel wheels 55 and 56 effecting oscillation of the stirring bar 51. With some fuels it is not necessary to employ water to cool the cap 9, in which case, the pipes 14- may be dispensed with. In such case the belts need not be shifted as above described but may be allowed to re main in the position shown in Fig. 1 in which position the bar and shaft will rotate continuously in one direction, the bar 51 describing circles around the cap 9.

Rigidly secured to the bar 51 above the gear wheel 55 are two collars ()5 between which is located the end of a lever (36 which extends through the vertical wall of the inlet 5 and is pivoted to a bracket 67 secured to the outer wall ofisaid inlet. The lower end of a bar 68 is secured to the upper side of the head 4 and is provided at its upper end with a horizontal portion 69 under which the lever 66 is adapted to pass and with which said lever engages when forced to the position shown 'in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When so positioned the lever 66 will raise the bar 51 so that the gear 55 willclear the gear 56, thereby causing a stoppage of rotary movement of the bar 51 and raisingthe bar partly from the fuel.

in operating the apparatus above described water is placed in the basin 3 so as to submerge the lower end of the casing 1. Ashes are placed within the combustion chamber so as to fill the same to a plane corresponding with the lower ends-of the fingers 24;. The ashes are denoted in Fig. 1 by 70. The fuel is then placed upon the ashes and ignited in the usual manner, air and steam being supplied to the pipe 7 through the conductor 8 by suction or by pressure through the instrumentality of an air pump, not shown. The air and steam entering the combustion chamber through the inlet openings 11 is given a whirling movement by the curved wings 10, and passes downwardly and outwardly through the fuel to and between the fingers 24, after which the gaseous products of combustion due to the action of the air and steam upon the burning fuel pass abruptly upwardly through the openings or holes 25 into the annular flue space 26, there dividing and passing therefrom by the two arms of the conductor 37 into the conductor 38 by which the gas is carried to the point of use, as for instance to the carburetor 39 of the gas ,engine 40. When the gas produced has be come of a suitable character, the engine 40 may be employed to effect the suction required to draw the air and steam into the combustion chamber. That portion of the fuel denoted by 71 and lying between the ashes 70 and the openings 11 becomes incandescent, and as it descends is gradually c0nverted into gaseous products which pass through the fingers 24: and to ashes which are deposited upon the bed of ashes 70. From time to time ashes are withdrawn from the basin 3 under the casing 1, care being taken that the ashes do not accumulate so as to close the spaces between the fingers 24. Fresh fuel is from time to time deposited into the combustion chamber through the feed inlet 5. This unignited fuel denoted by 71 falls upon the top of the cap 9 and diverges therefrom downwardly. The cap 9, being of greater diameter than the pipe 7 a central space is afforded which permits the free ingress of the air and steam. The air and steam is introduced into the fuel intermediate the incandescent and unignited fuel and passes downwardly and outwardly through the incandescent fuel 71 inthe form substantially of an annular flaring sheet. The greatest heat is produced a short distance from the place of entrance of the air ,andsteam into the fuel, and as a re sult the clinker produced by combustion and denoted by 73 is formed around the central tubular core, as shown in Fig. 2. In most gas producers the clinker forms on the walls of the producer and is with difficulty dislodged therefrom. With the use of my invention, the clinker forms centrally in the fuel just below the green or unignited fuel and in the form of a ring. If undisturbed this ring like clinker would seriously interfere with the production of gas of even composition by impeding the entrance of the required amount of steam and'air into the combustion chamber. By reason of the location of the clinker as formed directly beneath the unignited fuel pieces of such fuel become embedded in the soft clinker and afterward are burned out, thus making the clinker a porous body through which the steam and air can pass ,Vhen the clinker ring becomes of suflicient size to merit attention, water is admitted to the combustion chamber by properly manipulating the valve 49 in the pipe 48. The water is discharged from the branches 50 of the pipe 48 against the inner wall of the annular clinker 73 which is in. a highly heated condition. The effect of contact of water upon the highly heated clinker ring is to disintegrate it and to cause it to break into small pieces which separately work downwardly through the incandescent fuel 71 and enter the ashes 70, as shown in Fig. 1. The water employed to disintegrate the clinker absorbs heat from the clinker by reason of its impinging against the inner wall of the clinker and does not, for this reason, have the effect of lowering the temperature of the incandescent fuel 71, 513 611 as would be the case if the water were tlischarged directly into the ignited fuel instead of against the inner wall of the clinker. The water thus admitted, after disintegrating the clinker 73, passes therethrough and into the incandescent fuel 71. At the same time it reaches the incandescent fuel it has become superheated by the heat absorbed from the clinker and is therefore speedily decomposed by the incandescent fuel 71 to form carbon monoxid and hydrogen, which are both valuable constituents of the gas that is being made.

From the above it will be noted that the water admitted into the fuel body below the air and steam inlets 11 and within the space encircled by the annular sheet formed by the air and steam and gaseous products within the incandescent fuel 71 performs two functions, namely, that of disintegrating the clinker, and of providing gas constituents. By reason-of the introduction of the air and steam into the fuel body intermediate the incandescent and unignited portions thereof, and passing the air and steam downwardly through the incandescent fuel, an annular clinker is formed which has embedded in it some of the unburnt fuel,'which afterward burning out produces a porous clinker through which the air and steam can pass to enter the incandescent fuel. As above described this annular clinker can be readily broken up by the action of water directed against its inner surface, thereby supplying superheated steam to the incandescent fuel without materially lowering the temperature of such fuel. By reason of the introduction of air and steam intermediate the incandescent and unignited fuel and passing the air and steam downwardly through the incandescent fuel, the volatile substances and tarry constituents of the unburnt fuel are carried downwardly with the air and steam and are disassociated by the intense heat of the incandescent fuel to form fixed gases such as carbon monoxid and hydrogen. The carbonic acid gas produced by initial combustion is also carried downwardly and is decomposed by the incandescent fuel to form carbon monoxid. By reason of the air and steam being introduced centrally into the fuel intermediate the incandescent and unignited fuel and then passed downwardly and outwardly in the form of a flaring sheet of annular shape, the air and steam is supplied to the fuel in a manner adapted to produce the most uniform composition in the gas. A plentiful supply of air and steam is thus applied to the fresh fuel, and as the air and steam passes outwardly and downwardly it becomes relatively thinner as it comes into contact with fuel which has been partly consumed and does not require as much air for decomposition as does the fresh fuel. The result of thus diffusing the air and steam supplied to' the fuel is to cause the production of a gas of exceedingly uniform composition and wholly free from tar. By imparting a whirling movement to the air and steam as it enters the fuel body, the formation of fiues or pipes is to a great extent avoided, and the fuel is, therefore, more evenly subjected to the action of the steam and air than would be the case were this whirling movement not given to the air and steam. By passing the gaseous products abruptly upwardly after they have passed from the incandescent fuel, light ashes and impalpable powders are mechanically separated and dropped from the gaseous products and are deposited upon the bed of ashes 70.

To retain a homogeneous fuel bed and to cause the even feeding of the unignited fuel, the lever 66 is swung to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1. In this position it will effect an oscillation of the stirring bar 51 in the manner already described. The central tubular core, comprising the pipe 7, ring 16, sheath 21 and base 20, is preferably of flaring or conical shape so that the incandescent fuel body is given a flaring form corresponding to a certain extent with the shape of the sheet of air and steam and gaseous products passing through the incandescent fuel to the fingers 2 1. The incandescent fuel by reason of this shape is thinner in cross section near its bottom portion than at its upper portion and is thus disposed in position to have all portions evenly acted upon by the air and steam.

By first opening the valve 19 and thenclosing it, the pipe 48 may be filled with water which the heat of the tubular core will cause to be generated into steam which will be unconfined and will, therefore, pass into the combustion chamber at a comparatively low temperature, slightly above that of boiling water or the valve 419 may be left open long enough to permit water to pass from the pipe 48 into the combustion chamber. The operation of the valve 19 should correspond with the amount of fuel consumed and also with the character of the fuel employed.

I do not limit my invention to the structure illustrated and described, as modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. In a gas producer, a combustion chamber provided with a peripheral outlet for the products of combustion, a central core extending upwardly into said chamber to a point above said outlet, whereby a clinker formed around said core will be of annular form, and means for discharging water against a clinker so formed.

2. In a gas producer, a combustion chamber having a peripheral outlet for the products of combustion, a tube extending upwardly into said combustion chamber and having an outlet for air or steam adjacent to the upper end thereof, and means for carrying water upwardly through said core and discharging it laterally therefrom into the combustion chamber.

3. In a gas producer, a combustion chamber, a core extending upwardly in and provided with an air passage which discharges into said chamber, and a water pipe extending upwardly in said core and extending laterally therethrough and discharging into said chamber below the upper end of said air passage.

4. In a gas producer, a combustion chamber, a core extending upwardly into said chamber and provided with an air passage discharging into said chamber, a cap mounted on said core and provided With means for imparting a whirling movement to air discharged from said core and means for dis charging Water into said chamber below said cap from said core.

5. In a gas producer, a combustion chamher, a central Vertical tubular core having an opening discharging into said chamber,

and means for discharging Water into said 10 chamber below said opening.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE J. WEBER.

Witnesses:

WARREN D. HOUSE, E. B. HOUSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

